Alberta Sheriffs have removed nearly 1,500 impaired drivers from provincial highways in its first full year of its expanded mandate. (Photo: Alberta Sheriffs)

By David Opinko/LethbridgeNewsNOW

Roughly Four Per Day

Alberta Sheriffs remove nearly 1,500 impaired drivers in first year of expanded authorities

Jan 10, 2023 | 11:22 AM

The Government of Alberta is commending sheriffs for doing their part to remove impaired drivers from the road.

The Alberta Sheriffs were first granted the authority to investigate impaired driving and other criminal offences in late 2021.

In their first full calendar year since having the additional powers, the Sheriff Highway Patrol (SHP) removed 1,471 impaired drivers from provincial highways in 2022.

Since the authorities were granted, a total of 2,224 impaired drivers have been taken off the road in Alberta, averaging approximately four per day.

Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis says, with more than 30,000 kilometres of provincial highways in their jurisdiction, Alberta’s sheriffs have done tremendous work when it comes to impaired drivers.

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“Expanding the sheriffs’ authorities has alleviated pressure for policing in rural Alberta, giving those officers more time to respond to urgent calls and provide the flexibility to keep our communities safer,” says Ellis.

The SHP’s enforcement priorities also include speeding, distracted driving, and commercial vehicle safety. In 2022, they wrote 66,326 tickets related to these offences.

A media release from the provincial government states that officers dealt with several instances of extreme speed, such as:

• A 39-year-old woman driving 189 km/h in a 110 km/h zone on Highway 16 in Parkland County near Stony Plain. The woman was also allegedly impaired by alcohol.
• A 20-year-old man driving 228 km/h in a 110 km/h zone on Highway 16 in Parkland County west of Edmonton.
• A 25-year-old man riding his motorcycle at 203 km/h in a 100 km/h zone on Highway 21 outside of Sherwood Park.
• A 33-year-old man driving 195 km/h in a 110 km/h zone on Highway 63 near Crow Lake. The man, who had a graduated driver’s licence requiring a zero alcohol reading, also reportedly failed a roadside breath test. Subsequent investigation also determined he was unlawfully at large and wanted for parole violations.

The SHP operates 17 vehicle inspection stations on major transportation routes and 24 mobile inspection stations.

Since July 2021, the SHP states that its members apprehended 80 commercial drivers who were exceeding Alberta’s zero-tolerance standards for substance use while behind the wheel of commercial vehicles.